Know about electric cars

Introduction

​Today, technology has scaled heights that no one would have once even thought of. From Google glasses to solar panels to the cloud, the innovations have been rapid. Electric cars are one such type of innovation that has revolutionized the world.

Unlike their gasoline and diesel powered counterparts, an electric vehicle (EV) runs solely on an electric motor that is powered by electricity obtained from batteries or a fuel cell. However, not all electric cars work in this way. While most electric cars are battery operated, some of these cars commonly referred to as ‘Plug-in hybrids’, which come with a gas or diesel powered as well as an electric motor. Moreover, there is another type of electric car that converts hydrogen gas into electricity.

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​While this was the basic idea on what an electric car is, here are a few things you need to know about these cars.

The batteriesThe commonly available electric cars can be driven for about 100 to 150 miles before their batteries run out. There are also some high-range cars like electric sports car that could run as much as about 334 miles before draining out. Most electric cars may take between 5-10 hours to charge.

Although that is a negligible amount in comparison to a petrol or diesel car that goes for as long as about 400 to 500 miles, considering that technology always sees an upgrade, getting an average of 400 to 500 miles on an electric car doesn’t seem like a distant dream.

In terms of the number of miles it could run before its battery goes down, a Plug-in hybrid gets scores an extra point. This is because Plug-in hybrids use a petrol engine to run an electric motor once the battery has drained off.

The costAn electric car costs more than a regular gasoline-powered car. For example, the Mahindra E20 Plus starts at around INR 6.3 lakh and easily goes up to INR 10 lakh. And to add to this, there are registration, vehicle insurance, and other such charges to be considered that increase the price of the vehicle. However, looking at this from a long-term perspective, an electric car is much cheaper than a regular gasoline-powered car, owing to the fact that it uses lesser to no fossil fuels. Therefore, it lets you save on the price of the gas. Apart from this, an electric car has a few moving parts. It comes without the engine, which means no replacement of engine oil to be done and, hence, the car can be serviced at a minimal cost. Today, many motor insurance companies also offer lower car insurance rates on an electric car.

The environmentAn electric vehicle generates little to no greenhouse gases and air pollution. When a battery electric vehicle is powered by an electricity grid, it releases greenhouse gases that are equivalent to about 100 miles per four liters. However, when charged with renewable electricity sources like solar and wind energy, an electric vehicle releases zero emissions.

With the advancement in technology, electric cars would soon become popular in the country. However, you must conduct extensive research on different models before purchasing one.